In a COVID-hit year, Delhi University’s high cut-offs make students believe that nothing is enough, not even high percentages

The Delhi University Teachers' Association treasurer Abha Dev Habib appeals to students to not “lose heart and wait for subsequent cut-offs"
Representative Image | Pic: Express
Representative Image | Pic: Express

The month has turned gloomy for the young Delhi University aspirants, their hopes have been crushed in spite of crossing the '90 per cent mark', their dreams have been shattered by the reality that hit them as October began. 

On the first day of this month, DU announced its first cut-off list for undergraduate admissions with prominent colleges like Shri Ram College of Commerce and Hindu College pegging the cut-offs at 100 per cent for various courses. Students are now left scouting for alternatives - obviously, they're feeling severely dejected. 

For instance, Bhavika, a Chandigarh-based aspirant, scored 95.5 per cent in her best of four Class 12 results. She wants to pursue BA (Honours) Economics from either Lady Shri Ram College or Shri Ram College of Commerce, both come under DU. But now she says, "Seeing the cut-offs, DU looks like a distant dream at the moment.”  

The ‘Extra-Curricular Activities’ quota Bhavika has applied under is considered for admissions only after seats under the various other cut-offs are filled, which is why she says, “As a backup plan, I have taken admission in Symbiosis Law School, Pune but DU is my first preference.”

Her friend Ishita Mehra, who has scored 93.6 per cent, has already taken admission in SD College in Chandigarh fearing she wouldn’t make the cut in DU. "They should have held the central universities common entrance test for aspirants. I didn't get enough marks and had there been exams, I am sure I would have scored 96 per cent or 97 per cent.” She adds, “I want to get into BCom (Honours) in a good North Campus college. I will wait for the remaining cut-offs but I won't settle for a lesser college in DU.”

Roshni Zahoor, a resident of Rataul in Uttar Pradesh, scored 94.75 per cent and wants to enroll into a BA (Honours) History course at a prominent North Campus college. She says, "The cut-offs are quite high and I won't be able to make it in the first list in the campus colleges. However, I am meeting the cut-offs in Deshbandhu College and Aryabhatta College.” She adds, “I will take admission there and then migrate to the college I want if I manage to meet the scores in any of the subsequent lists."

The Delhi University Teachers' Association Treasurer Abha Dev Habib appeals to students to not “lose heart and wait for subsequent cut-offs”. Even Dr Babli Moitra Saraf, the principal of Indraprastha College For Women, said students cannot let despair overpower their spirit if they’re not on the first list. "The first and the second cut-offs are higher because colleges do not want to run the risk of excessive admissions. The rule is that everyone within the cut-off has to be accommodated irrespective of the number of seats," she says.

With inputs from PTI
Edited by Eshan Kalyanikar

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